Juventus 1-0 Valencia
This Champions League result is due to one man’s gravitas and skill.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been an unstoppable force for the Bianconeri ever since arriving in the summer, and that proves to be the case once more when they coolly triumph over a tough La Liga opponent in Valencia.
The Portuguese forward had his foot all over the football as Juve dominated the game’s content for most of the game’s 90 minutes.
Highlights of the game
While Juventus won in dominating fashion against Valencia, I don’t think Cristiano Ronaldo and company forgot the drama they had to endure when they played at the Estadio de Mestalla. Now that they have the home advantage over their opponents, CR7 and the rest of the Bianconeri started the match on high gear.
Ronaldo fired a warning shot at his opponents during the very first minute of the game. He fired a beautiful volley at the very first minute of action, but the attempt flew wide of the post. Two minutes later, Ronaldo culminated a run of good play by Milan by taking a shot from the edge of the box towards the middle of the goal. However, Neto made sure to save the football without any problems.
Cristiano’s faithful fans knew that the Portuguese star is close to making big Champions League 2018 news if he scored in this game. Ronaldo is close to equaling Raul’s Champions League record of scoring against 33 different European sides. A goal against Valencia would have added a new notch to his already-incredible career.
Juventus kept on attacking, much to the delight of the Allianz Stadium crowd. Daniel Parejo and Jose Gaya were doing everything they can to upset the favourites in their own stomping grounds, but Juventus had too solid of a backline to allow any attempts from Los Che to break through and get into the back of the net.
Wojciech Szczesny had to pull off a superb save from a point-blank header to keep the score level, but there wasn’t anything particularly threatening to the Bianconeri backline. The looming problem for Massimiliano Allegri’s team in the first half, however, was their inability to find the back of the net despite having so much possession in the first half of the game. They couldn’t help but fire blank after blank as Marcelino’s XI looked resolute as always.
The first half winded down as both teams struggled to score against their opponents. When the first half was over, some were concerned over the scoring form of the Serie A leaders. The way that they struggled to score at home against Valencia reminded some weary fans of the bitter defeat they endured at the hands of Manchester United last time out. The live Champions League 2018 odds definitely improved for Valencia during the half.
However, things soon changed for the better as the Old Lady found the back of the net in the second half. The attack began with Cristiano Ronaldo on the left wing. He controlled a lobbed ball and attracted the defence towards him. He then fired a low cross for Mario Mandzukic to easily finish from the other end of the penalty box.
The Allianz Stadium and the players on the pitch came to life as they finally broke the deadlock. However, they did not forget the heartbreak versus United and stayed alert on defence. Valencia expectedly upped the ante on their attacks, but the Juve backline was more than ready to accommodate the additional pressure.
Moreover, Juventus didn’t stop on attacking whenever they had the football. Mandzukic almost got a brace in the 63rd minute, but Neto denied his rebound from going into the net. Paulo Dybala had his own opportunity in the 68th minute, but the Valencia stopper pulled off a remarkable save once more.
Both sides pried for one more goal, but that would be all she wrote. Juve fans are more than happy to see their team head to the knockout stages in this manner. The game followed the script, and fans are probably happy that nothing off-beat happened during the 90 minutes.
Key statistics
Juventus experienced a boost during the half-time break. During the first half, only one of their nine goal attempts was on target. However, the second half saw a big change as Juve saw six of their nine second-half shots go on target. They forced five second-half saves from Neto.
This game was a very physical affair that saw both teams collect 32 fouls and eight yellow cards in total. The physicality of this game will remind some of the game they played out at the Mestalla in September.
What’s next?
Juventus can take it easy against Young Boys in their last Champions League group stage match, but I don’t see that as Allegri’s way of doing things. I fully expect Juve to win against Young Boys as well as triumph in their Serie A contests against Fiorentina and Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Valencia have a tough schedule before they host Manchester United in the Champions League. They play Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu before they face Ebro at the Copa Del Rey. They then face Sevilla in an interesting match before they welcome the Red Devils.
Keep your eyes on SBOBET for more news and updates about the Champions League and the rest of the top domestic football leagues in the world.
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